Goodbye #FoodPorn: Counting Instagram calories

Google are working on an app that will take your Instagram photos & analyse the calorie content of the food in them.

Google’s research scientist Kevin Murphy unveiled the project called ‘Im2Calories’ – the software scans the photo to record the type & amount of food (in relation to the size of your plate) to calculate a rough calorie count.

All the media pick-up following the launch at the Rework Deep Learning Summit (Boston) seems to have been around the accuracy of this technology, something Kevin admits will be rough to begin with & gain accuracy as usage & learnings grow, but I think the real issue is whether people want this in the context of Instagram.

This sounds like a great technology for a Weightwatchers app, whereas Instagram is a place of inspiration & envy. The second most popular food tag on Instagram is #foodporn because users love showing off & looking at drool-worthy food. This doesn’t sit well with calorie counting. I won’t be crooning over Ben & Jerry’s insta-feed if Google’s telling me how many calories are in each pot.

If I’m shopping in the supermarket making decisions about what to buy & eat then, yes, I should be made aware of the calorie content. If I’m just lusting after my favourite chef’s recipes or food brands concoctions then I couldn’t care less. Who’s with me?